Re: QR Tilt Train

[garry <garry@merddyn.apana.org.au>]

David Proctor wrote:

> Am I the only person who thinks that QR is tempting fate by planning to run
> the intended service (BDB-BNE-ROK and v/v), requiring two sets, without ANY
> spare carriages? Modern rolling stock may be reliable, but accidents
> happen, and sooner or later these cars are going to have to go in for heavy
> maintenance involving stripdown and they will be left with only one set -
> then they will be in big trouble.

No, I don't think so. It perplexes many. It must be remembered that the tilt
train concept eventuated under Joh and was taken over by Hammer (Hamil). The
same man who cancelled electric stock on order because he couldn't see a need
for it. (I'm sure he thought you just walked into your local train dealer and
said I'll have 6 of those, deliver tomorrow please). The result was a general
shortage in rolling stock resulting in inner-city stopping trains  being axed
to free of sets for the rapidly growing outer suburban services, This growth
had been planned for by previous government, hence the advance order for
rolling stock Hamil cancelled,

The lack of spare cars is just another example of Hamil's (and his even worse
successor Haywood's) gross mismanagement of the railways. This is not political
comment but factual comment backed up by people from all parties and even the
newspaper cartoonists. Of Goss's transport Ministers only Jim Elder had any
idea of running a railway system. The problem was he wasn't there long enough
to leave his mark. I'm sure that given time he would have repaired the damage
caused by Hamil and Haywood.

I hope that once the two sets are complete a spare half set will be built or
perhaps even a third set. The problem here of course is the capital cost tied
up in keeping a seventh or third of the fleet on standby.

Cheers,

Garry